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♪ ♪ i fought the law and the law won ♪ ♪ i fought the law and the law won ♪ >> welcome back, everybody. there is a new trend in thievery. forget the banks and the casinos. no, no, no. the hottest target for organized thieves, supermarkets. >> now retailers are forming their own undercover units because of this. abc's nick watt went along with one of them for a bust. >> reporter: we used to call it shoplifting. but now it's so much more. >> i've seen a person pull a razor blade and cut people. >> it could be nothing, it could be something. >> reporter: it's highly organized crime rings doing big business. shoplifters are called boosters,

they sell the stuff on to someone called a fence. there's even an acronym, orc, organized retail crime. >> it's just like a fortune 500 company. it's all just organized. >> reporter: it cost the retail industry more than $30 billion a year. >> everything from meat to razors, to milk. >> reporter: milk? >> you name it. >> reporter: underwear, fragrance, clothing, highly sophisticated networks, boosters, fences, mr. bigs can make millions a year. and mike sweat is on the case. a riverside county sheriff's deputy injured in a car accident, sweat is now a full-time investigator on the orc beat. hired by stores from tj maxx to marshals and he's helping out the cops. >> kind of like working a

narcotics case. we have low, mid level and top dog. >> reporter: he's been casing two joints in l.a. for months. ray day has arrived. a motorcade of squad cars depart from the police department. they're in. the raid is on, and pay dirt. >> all that down here is victoria secrets. it's not rip-off stuff. it's not counterfeit. >> reporter: everything is photographed, and the cuffs are on. the owners of the stores arrested for possession of stolen merchandise. at mike's command center, aka his apartment, he shows off the fruit of countless hours. you're never going to stop people from stealing from stores. >> no, but i can sure try. >> reporter: any boosters watching tonight, be warned, you might be being watched. mike sweat might be right mind -- behind you. i'm nick watt in los angeles. >> the numbers are staggering. >> so apparently, there's

something called the national association of shoplifting prevention. that's how prevalent this is. by the way, apparently most prevalent crime in the u.s. averaging 550,000 incidents per day, $13 billion worth of goods lost. that's $35 million a day. >> we are a nation of thieves. >> 1 in 11 people are shoplifters. >> that is so dirty. i can't believe people would do something like that. >> that is not the kind of thing i've ever even heard of. >> that's disgusting. >> we'll be back. >> if diane sawyer asks, you didn't see me.

♪ thunder road. >> there we go. consumer reports has ranked the top ten cars and it is not too good news for detroit. >> abc's marci gonzalez shares the results. good morning, marci. >> reporter: good morning. the consumer reports list just came out yesterday, and there were some surprises. honda is back. topping consumer reports top car picks for 2013 after being left off the list last year. >> it got some of the mojo back. >> reporter: honda roared back with three winners, the accord, odyssey and crv. but missing from this year's list are any american manufacturers. >> one thing that hurt the americans for our list is they

are redesigning their pickup trucks this year and nothing scored really well. >> reporter: and trucks matter, because they're still in high behind, boosting average u.s. car sales by 14% this year. >> people go into the dealership thinking they want a fuel efficient smaller car. what they're finding out is that the big suvs and crossover vehicles, which are still the dominant portion of the market, are getting good mileage. >> reporter: the best fuel efficient car is the toyota prius, getting 44 miles a gallon. the hyundai elantra was named the best budget car. out of the 280 models tested, ten vehicles have the top pick status. and possibly some extra consideration from those in the market for a new car. also making a comeback, audi and bmw. they made the list for the first time in a decade. rob and diana? >> wow. not good news for detroit. but overall, auto sales are

slowly getting back. >> finally. it took a while, but hey, they're back. not bad. >> but almost 300 models were tested. so better luck next year, america. coming up after the break, the breakfast food that promises to boost men's fertility. the ast food that promises to boost men's tility. t the ones we love. lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

this is another! ta-daa! try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading value brand. and it's four times stronger. charmin ultra strong. and it's four times stronger. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste,

headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. we filled it with smelly odors. then installed a car vent clip and let in real people. it smells good. like laundry fresh out of the dryer. a man fresh out of the shower. nailed it. proof. febreze car vent clips keep your car fresh. breathe happy. see that film? people call me about this every day. my dishwasher must be broken. you know, it's not always the machine. it may be the detergent. add finish power up to boost your detergent and you'll see a huge difference. watch what it can do.

look at that sparkle! now that's clean! cloudiness! spots! tough stains! even dishwasher build-up! gone! just like that! so don't give up. add finish power up. wow! see the difference! it's a must have! all right. welcome to "the mix," everybody. we start with something interesting and strange. so we've all seen the commercial that geico has out there about a lady who is stranded with a pig next to her. she's trying to flirt with him but it's not working out. we have a clip. will we run it? maybe not. that's the video of what happens. now we have 1 million moms, a group out there that monitors children's programming who is apparently upset about this because they say it's making light of bestiality.

they sent out a press release saying geico thought it would be humorous, but it is disgusting to see how the company takes light bestiality. >> it's a cute commercial. no person takes that too seriously. it's a geico commercial. >> apparently there was a skittles commercial that featured a walrus and they took aim at that one. >> oh, come on. >> there's other things out there that you should be worried about. >> no one is trying to cork the pork. relax here. also, are you a fan of greek yogurt? >> i can do greek yogurt. >> it's not a manly thing to eat it, apparently. any way, this brand has brogurt. greek yogurt for men. high protein, all natural, great tasting and a man-sized package. it builds muscle because of the

protein, burns fat and on top of that, it has zinc, which is shown to help male fertility by improving the quality of a man's sperm. so now we have powerful yogurt known as brogurt. >> you can keep your brogurt. >> there's a joke in there somewhere. but this isn't hbo. carry on. how about this. apparently parenthood can make us miserable. that makes no sense. i don't happen to agree with this, but a professor at harvard gave a lecture. and it found between married that earn between $50,000 and $75,000 and don't have children are the happiest in the world. so if you got a kid, apparently you're not happy. people like to eat tv and exercise more than they like interacting with their own kids. also they did a new study about annoying songs and how they get stuck in our head, like this one they're playing now.

you have to do an activity that this one they're playing now. you have to do an activity that kind of combines) 3 days of walg

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register for the 3-day now. (woman) it's just been an amazing, amazing journey. i love these people. ♪ and it's beautiful this morning on "world news now," papal farewell. tens of thousands of roman catholics are at the vatican this morning for benedict's last general audience as pope. >> the historic transition before benedict's formal resignation tomorrow. it's wednesday, february 27th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good morning, everybody. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. history is in the making at st. peter's square as the pope officially retires tomorrow and that's coming up in our top story. on top of that, we'll turn to northern texas where a

16-year-old driver with a stuck accelerator pedal managed to avoid crash after crash. the panicky situation with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. lucky is an understatement. >> wow. also this morning, the debate over working at the office or working from home. after a surprising order from the top corporate executive. where are you the most productive? >> would you do this show from home if you could? >> in a heartbeat. actually, i do live here. >> feels like we do. >> we're here every night. coming up later this half hour, chris brown and rihanna's relationship has been on and off. now we're hearing the latest word about this unusual little love story here. that's coming up in our "skinny" here. >> they just don't quit. >> from is something there. for her to go back -- for better or worse, i'm not judging. some people you're just drawn to whether it's healthy or not.

>> wow. but first, we want to get to this. pope benedict now well into his last full day as leader of the catholic church. this is st. peter's square in the vatican. benedict will ride his popemobile around the square after his final public audience. >> he leaves office amid controversy as abc's david wright reports from rome. >> reporter: he's already said his last public mass at the basilica. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: he'll never appear in that window again. now the stage is set for one last public audience. then the sun sets on benedict xvi's papacy. we learned more details about his retirement. for example, he'll be called pope emeritus.

>> so his holiness 16th, or supreme pontiff. >> reporter: but no more swiss guards. no more fisherman's ring either. but he'll still get to wear white. >> a simple white casic. a very important point are the shoes. they will no longer be the red shoes, but he's chosen to keep brown shoes given to him on his recent trip to mexico. >> reporter: he also plans to live on the vatican grounds in a former nunnery. already the campaign to choose his successor is as ugly as a south carolina primary. for nearly a week now, the italian papers have run wild with a story of a sex and blackmail scandal about to explode, speculating the benedict really resigned because of a dossier he was given detailing the whole sordid mess. >> the vatican is upset with all the focus on the scandal.

>> cardinals have had to face many forms of pressure. today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion. >> reporter: other cardinals have ignored that example. among them, l.a.'s cardinal roger mahoney. documents show that for more than a decade, he enabled priests to keep molesting children rather than report them to law enforcement. it's an election without a democracy. italians say they're used to it. i'm david wright in rome. now to capitol hill, where there's no progress in the talks to head off the deep budget cuts coming. the cuts kick in on friday. the back and forth between republicans and democrats is taking a newer, nastier tone now. >> we should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their ass and begins to do something. >> i was raised in a little town that had 13 brothels in it, so i'm used to some pretty salty language. i think he should understand who is sitting on their posterior. >> oh, boy. the effects are already being felt ahead of friday.

the indianapolis air show has been canceled. u.s. military jet teams are grounded until further notice. >> tough language. gets feisty. fellas, fellas. in other news, rosa parks is about to become the first african-american woman to be honored with a full-size statue at the u.s. capitol. president obama will unveil the statue this morning, paying tribute to the woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man back in 1955. her arrest led to the civil rights movement. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the march on washington and martin luther king's unforgettable "i have a dream" speech. i sat down with three marchers who were there back on that day in 1963 to witness history in the making. you can hear what they have to say about black america tomorrow right here on "world news now." the family of trayvon martin has just marked one year since he was shot and killed.

martin's parents took part in a candle light vigil in new york city last night along with about 200 others. the shooting of the unarmed 17-year-old set off a national outcry over race issues and stand your ground laws. >> in case you're wondering where this stands legally, zimmerman will be back in court april 22 for a hearing related to that stand your ground law. they're calling it a mini trial, but that is the next step legally in all this. but obviously this was a huge story a year ago when it first broke. a lot of questions about police and the law, possible racial undercurrents. so on and so forth. so how all that plays out in this mini trial a few weeks, we shall see. >> the stand your ground law in florida, which there was a group that was put together to look at the law to see if any differences can be made. the group has since been disbanded and no changes made to the law. this is a strong law in florida. a lot of lawmakers are behind it. as far as zimmerman goes, there

was questions when he was released last year whether or not he would flee and if he would leave florida. on cnn, they said yesterday they had spoken to the attorney for zimmerman and he is still in florida according to his attorney. >> and that town has a new police chief that is doing community outreach. we have dramatic video of a teenager in a runaway car, avoiding accidents on a texas highway at more than 100 miles an hour. he called 911 saying his car accelerated and couldn't slow down. an officer called in to help capture it all on his dash cam. a semi pulled in front of the teen, causing his 2011 vehicle to flip four times. he survived with just a few broken bones. he missed a lot of accidents. the heavy snow that walloped the nation's middle is now over the last two days is now delivering a direct hit to chicago. it started coming down yesterday around at -- afternoon at nearly

an inch per hour and expected to continue through today. the windy city is living up to its name with powerful gusts causing whiteout conditions and hundreds of flights have been canceled. and as for the rest of the nation's weather, there's snow around the great lakes and up into maine. we have some morning rain for the major cities in the northeast. drying out across the nation's middle. some rain later today in the northwest. >> temperatures rise to the mid 50s near new york and atlanta. high 70s for florida. warmer across the central plains, so all that blizzard snow can start melting. not bad in honolulu n case you're wondering. 81 degrees there. i'm booking a flight. >> let's go. >> it's happening again. >> really? >> no, not that. you keep me on my toes, that's for sure. maybe you know where we're going with this one. and i'm not talking about that one.

>> must be men's college basketball. that's what i was thinking, with that march madness reference. yes, it has happened again. the nation's number one men's college basketball team has lost. last night, the hoosiers go down 77-73 at minnesota. >> and for those of you who are counting, that is the seventh time this season the number one team in the country has lost. indiana has lost three times as number one. here's a hint, indiana. don't be number one. >> number one has been cursed this season. this is an amazing run. that always makes it interesting. coming up on march madness in a few weeks. kind of setting the stage for what should be a great tournament. >> we're excited to see what number one is going to be able to do. >> what college team do you root for? >> baylor. >> oh, really? >> yes. >> why? >> i'm not sharing that with you. >> i'll press it during the commercial break.

coming up, what's bringing some actors, comedians and country singers together on the same stage. >> an outcry at the office. you're watching "world news now." ♪

♪ working for a living ♪ working for a living

the ceo of yahoo! has ordered employees to show up to the office every day. and that's a big change for the company, which had had flexible work-from-home options. >> sounds nice to me. while that announcement has sparked a lot of debate. so abc's linzie janis reports on the controversy. >> reporter: 37-year-old marisa meyer had been a controversial figure since taking l the helm at yahoo! last year. on the day she accepted the job, she announced she was pregnant. she then made headlines again by taking only two weeks of maternity leave. now another firestorm. employees were sent a memo to report to the office starting june 1st. it read, to become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important. so we need to be working side by side. her move lit up the internet, with even ceos weighing in.

rich bran son said, give people the freedom to work. tina brown of the daily beast said, cheers for her making staff show up at the office. almost 10% of americans work from home at least one day a week. and more men than women do it. >> it worked beautifully. it worked like clock work. >> reporter: michelle fagerland is a mother of three who lives 45 minutes from the office and says she's most productive when working from home. >> it was easy. nobody questioned where i was. >> reporter: last november, she went through what yahoo! employees. wi -- will soon experience. her company said she had to return to the office five days a week. >> i feel a lot more stressed. sometimes my head is not there because i'm thinking about, am i going to get a phone call that

somebody is sick and i'm 45 minutes, an hour away. >> reporter: she thinks telecommuting helps her and so many others be better employees. when we contacted yahoo! for comment, it said this is not a broad industry view about working from home. it's about what's right for yahoo! right now. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> okay, listen, if you ask me, you've got to be in, because i've got to be in. i've got to be here, so you have to be here. that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know where are you most productive? logon to our facebook page at wnnfans.com to weigh in. >> what do you think? >> i think that work at home system has enough holes where people can take advantage of it. i think everybody's together, it builds teamwork, morale. everyone is at home, it seems disjointed and you never know who is doing what and when. as a boss, i wouldn't like that. >> i do have a very good friend of mine, her line of work allows her to work from home. there's no reason to be in the office and she can spend time with her infant child. if you have a job that lets you do it, i'm all for it. i have to be here.

but yahoo! people don't have to be there. what are they doing? they're writing blogs and stories. that's just my opinion. >> this will get a lot of response on facebook. chime in and let us know where you're most productive. willis is most productive in the bathroom. that's about it. coming up next -- he's still asleep. we're seeing a lot more from certain members of the kardashian family. they're productive too. and setting the record straight about rihanna and chris brown. that's coming up next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny all right -- >> skinny in the house! >> almost forgot. >> well done, willis. quick update on the chris brown/rihanna situation. apparently finally confirmation of the obvious, that they are together. chris brown has said we are back together. she's the most beautiful girl in the world. i'm sad she couldn't be here tonight, she's rehearsing for a tour. so they are officially back together. also, in not-so-friendly news, rihanna had to get a restraining order against a man who is pretty obsessed with her, a fan of hers, who even tried to break into her house. he even broke into a neighbor's house, thinking it was her

house. he cannot come within 100 yards of anything related to her. so she has her man, but of course, the price of fame, an obsessed fan as well. >> sounds like she got the restraining order against the wrong guy. next, katie holmes and tom cruise have a daughter named si siri. we all know that. there were pictures in "splash" news that found maybe she has a body double. they took pictures of a little girl wearing the same coat, black skirt and leggings and dropped off at a building in manhattan -- rather tmz. they were dropped off at a building in manhattan just minutes ago. now she says those claims are ridiculous. they are friends and they happen to look and dress alike. >> another world crisis averted. she has no body double. check out the cover of this magazine in france, everyone's favorite couple, kanye and kim, kind of a very intimate pose

right there a little bit. this is the latest thing. obviously that's kanye's back. kim looks like she's having a wonderful time in that intimate embrace there. >> i feel like a fly on the wall in the wrong bedroom. >> they're a very media shy couple, we all know that. they're very cozy and looking good. >> she's pregnant and they're happy and wonderful. well, our friend and colleague, barbara walters, is returning to "the view" next week. monday will be her first day back after she was sidelined for more than a month. she's been recovering from the chickenpox and a concussion. barbara walters, she was absent from the show starting january 22nd when she was hospitalized after fainting and cutting her head in d.c. during the inauguration. >> barbara walters on her way back, as we knew she would be. bobby brown back in the news, going to jail. 55 days, he's been sentenced to go behind bars, pleading no

contest for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license. a whole bunch of charges here. he has to report to jail march 20th to begin his sentence. bobby brown can simply not stay out of trouble. >> every little step, right back to jail. >> guess it's his prerogative. hope he's not humping around. hope he's not hurping around. [ laughing ]

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agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer.

until it's completely clean. lysol toilet bowl cleaner kills 99.9% of germs and removes stains better than clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach. so if you want to do the whole job, lysol's got you covered. ♪ getting jiggy. taking us back a few years. >> wow. >> that was nice, blast from the past. there is a new cast of characters for one of abc's most popular shows. >> the contestants for the new season of "dancing with the stars" have been announced. finally. abc's brandi hitt tells us who's in. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning. after meeting this year's cast, i'm excited about this season. they all have great personalities, and many have no dance experience whatsoever. but these celebrities are ready to put it all out there on the

dance floor. the newest "dancing with the stars" cast includes a country queen. >> wynonna judd. >> reporter: a super bowl champ. >> jacoby jones. >> reporter: with smooth moves on and off the field. >> andy dick. >> reporter: there's even a comedic klutz. season 16 is shaping up to be a memorable one. >> there's a lot of good people. i'm going to work really hard. >> reporter: olympic gold medalist aly raisman is competing against dorothy hamill. >> i sort of fantasized about doing the show. never thought it would happen. >> reporter: and there's boxing champ victor ortiz. country singer kelly pickler. and comedian d.l. hughley. >> andy dick will be my toughest competition. i fear him. >> there's different waltzes. is it the vietnamese?

>> viennese. >> thank god i didn't do the vietnamese waltz. >> reporter: several of the stars have turned down the show in the past. >> they've asked me for six years. >> so why now? >> reporter: i'm trying to get back to my original weight of 8 pounds and 15 ounces. >> reporter: it also includes "real housewives star" lisa vanderpump and disney teen stars as well as "general hospital's" inga rodermocker. but only one will take home the trophy. you can see them perform their first chance when the show premieres march 18th right here on abc. >> thank you. i was riveted by that story. >> i'm going to go with d.l. hughley. >> i'm going with the football player. i can't remember his name. >> oh, look at that.

>> look at that leg. >> you're looking tone, girl. i like it. >> i appreciate that.

this morning on "world news now," february frustration. this late winter snowstorm with so much punch, it's grounded 500 flights alone in chicago this morning. >> the heavy snowfall, the costly property damage and the widespread power outages. it's wednesday, february 27th. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. this mammoth snowstorm is causing problems all the way to the carolinas. that's in our top story. and then to capitol hill,

where republicans and democrats are in the middle of a political battle over friday's far-reaching budget cuts. will there be a deal in time? >> a lot of talk, but you're not getting a sense of urgency. so fasten your seat belts for that. and our first look at the new "titanic." really cool story here. a billionaire is building a replica of the doomed luxury liner, and passengers cannot wait to set sail. >> really? >> yeah, i think it's cool. you wouldn't do it? later on this half hour, we've asked you to ask us questions, and now we're answering them. it's almost time for the wnn inbox. and there's a question from our viewers about one of rob's facial features. >> people ask for interesting stuff, and we will always be honest and funny and everything. by the way, let me compliment you on the dress and the new hairdo. i've not seen your hair up. >> thank you. >> looking very lovely. >> my viewers in connecticut will remember this is the only

way i wore my hair when i worked in connecticut. this is it. nice and comfortable. nice and easy. >> because it's so easy? >> this is what i look like when i rolled out of bed. >> the bun and all, huh? >> the bun and all and i wore the dress. >> she's flawless. that last hoo-rah a for that blizzard that's caused so much trouble across the center of the country, well, it ain't quite done just yet. >> there are storm watches and warnings posted in missouri all the way up to maine. b abc's alex perez is in snowy chicago. >> reporter: another winter wallop from mother nature brought more snow, sleet and freezing rain to the nation's midsection. the windy city got hit just in time to add misery to the evening commute. >> it's bad. visibility is really bad. >> reporter: this is part of the same storm that moved through texas, kansas and oklahoma. in wichita, it's not the amount of snow that's the big problem but the weight.

in missouri, the snow so wet and heavy, look what it did to this building in kansas city. and this roof collapsed in oklahoma killed a man. >> we haven't had snow like this in 20 years. >> reporter: a foot of wet snow can add up to 20 pounds per square foot. that's like having several cars on it. if you hear creeking or popping sounds, get out. iowans expected to be spared, but some parts of the state could get up to a foot. further east, snow and freezing rain closed schools in north carolina. ice-coated powerlines caused outages, leaving thousands in the dark. this tree limb fell on a power line, sparking a small fire. this rain will make its way up the east coast. alex perez, abc news, chicago. now moving on to the rest of the day's weather. appalachia gets more snow. there's rain along the northeast coast. and in florida, late-day showers for the northwest and a pleasant

day for the south. >> 65 in phoenix. mid to high 30s in the mid plains. 50s in the northwest and along much of the east coast. now we turn to the impact of the budget cuts before friday's deadline. the department of homeland security says it's been forced to release hundreds of undocumented workers back into the u.s. they had been detained and now there's word that republicans will meet behind closed doors to discuss emergency measures. with more here's abc's john karl. >> reporter: the president took his battle over looming spending cuts to the giant military ship building facility in newport news, virginia. warning of lost jobs and worse. >> this work, along with hundreds of thousands of jobs, are currently in jeopardy because of politics in washington. >> reporter: not just jobs, national security at risk, too. across the bay in norfolk is the "uss harry truman." it's supposed to be on its way to the persian gulf but has to

stay docked because of the cuts. back in washington, it's getting ugly. >> we should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their ass and begins to do something. >> reporter: caught in the middle, the workers. >> if something ever happened, yeah, i would lose my house, everything. >> reporter: the pentagon calls the cuts stupid. and it's hard to disagree. get this, there's billions of dollars the pentagon wants to cut, but isn't allowed. like the upgraded m1 abrams tank, $3 billion. and the spy drone, $2.5 billion. you might think there would be urgent meetings at the white house, but there are none. no meetings or phone calls between the president and republican leaders. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> certainly not encouraging. it's expected to be an emotional day in the senate as lawmakers consider a revamped assault weapons ban. among those expected to testify are the parents of a child killed at sandy hook elementary. the nra promises to fight any

restrictions on gun ownership. and one-fifth of americans polled by kaiser family foundation admits they know a victim of gun violence. among the african-americans polled, 42% say they know a gun crime victim. 75% of latinos, 62% of african-americans and 30% of whites worry about being victimized themselves. >> i have to say, this is a story that transcends not -- and we're seeing it, not only cities across america, but cultures. the story of gun legislation. and the family of vickie soto, if you remember that name, you've heard it before. she was the teacher that shielded all of her kids in that classroom in sandy hook. her family was on msnbc and they were asked about the connecticut effect, which a lot of lawmakers say this will go away when they stop thinking about connecticut. they were particularly upset by that because they want this to not only be about their sister dying by guns, but they want it

to be a story that transcends even more so than what happened in connecticut because they say it will continue to happen. it happened in colorado, it will happen in connecticut, it's going to happen again. >> america sometimes has a short term memory. we get wrapped up in other stuff. we mourn and grieve and then life moves on and things fade in the memory unless you're directly impacted. maybe they're worried about that. it would seem the assault weapons ban does not have much of a chance of passing. but that debate gets under way later today. moving on to this, a stunning story from new zealand. a man has been killed by a shark attack. you see the shark there in the spot. that's the shadow of him. it was said to be between 12 and 14 feet long. police in a rescue boat fired gunshots to chase it away. the man was in his 40s, 650 feet out in the water when the attack happened. authorities in peru say a california couple who vanished has been found. they were on a south american biking tour when they suddenly

stopped communicating with friends and family. police say the couple was surprised to learn about the fact they had been reported missing. tourism officials say that they will take pictures of the pair today and prove that they are alive and well and they also said they were upset at the fact that they were reported kidnapped because that affects their tourism. here in new york, an australian billionaire announced construction has started on a replica of the famous cruiseliner "titanic." construction is under way in china and the first cruise has been set for 2016. among those sitting on the advisory board is helen benzinger, the great granddaughter of margaret molly brown, "titanic" survivor. >> she never finished the voyage. she always loves to finish what she started. >> i'm very excited about it, because it's all about love.

>> 40,000 people have expressed interest in tickets for the maiden voyage, taking the original course from southhampton, england, to new york. couldn't possibly happen twice. >> it sounds eerily familiar. everybody wants to ride on that ship. the world's largest beer producer, anheuser-busch, is facing a lawsuit filed by beer drinkers. it seeks millions of dollars and accuses the company of watering down budweiser and other brands. water is added cutting the alcohol contempt significantly. the company calls the suit groundless. >> i'm outraged. do not water down my always watery beer. >> or my maker's abuse. >> america will not stand for alcohol abuse. what would it take for 1500 people from around the world to flock to cuba all at once? >> how about a hankering for a premium cigar?

cigar fanatics from 17 countries are now in havana for the annual stogie fest. they've paid thousands to experience some of the world's best cigars. >> in addition to seeing cigars hand rolled in front of them, they good a chance to see how it got started, visiting plantations and cigar plantations. >> oh, man. i miss college. coming up, so many questions about my co-anchor in the wnn inbox. stay tuned for answers. and later, the resilient teenager who found a job during a very long walk. you're watching "world news now." eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything.

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and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

welcome back, everybody. over nearly 5,000 syrians that three their war-worn country every single day. >> abc's bob woodruff reports on the syrian border where families are now living in former prison cells. >> reporter: mothers and children in search of survival. shelter for some is an abandoned prison. how many people sleep in here? >> five. >> reporter: is it cold in here at night? >> very cold. zero. >> reporter: this is your new place? she shows me her life here, bars on the windows, bare cement floors. it is unimaginable what these

children have witnessed. while you're sleeping at night, do you have any dreams about the shells? she tells us she wakes up afraid. nightmares from the shelling. what did you see? >> we saw dead bodies and the planes were dropping bombs. >> reporter: you saw people that were killed? >> yes. >> reporter: are you thinking about your father? that's okay, sweetie. when night falls, the children struggle to stay warm. many are sick. so cold that families cook inside their tents. two days ago, a fire ripped through the camp, row after row. the morning light brings hope. children warm their feet. the charity save the children is here trying to help. they've even set up a school nearby. but fear is just beneath the surface. this little girl broke into tears. she thought our camera was a

gun. we showed her she was safe. everyone misses their old life and those left behind. today, they can't afford to call home. so we lend them our phones. mothers and children talking to their families for the first time in months. smiles that say everything. >> hello. >> reporter: bob woodruff, abc news, lebanon. >> again, putting a human face on that crisis. the important change is there now seems to be some indication that the administration is kind of gradually shifting toward arming some of the rebels with non-lethal military equipment. but that's still being ironed out. but you can sense a sea change on the horizon. >> those kids have no idea what's going on right outside of their little home, which is now a prison cell. that's not fair to any of them. and they're not alone.

70,000 people have been killed and thousands of others maimed and injured in this. it's children. >> and no end in sight. that's the scary part. we'll lighten the mood right after this. don't go far.

♪ ♪ so much to say, so much to say, so much to say ♪ love dave. time now to open up our "world news now" inbox, just for you. >> as usual, we had a lot of great questions from you guys, so let's get right to it. robert asks i want to know what the deal with the devil was -- he wants to know what deal i made with the devil to keep getting smart, talented, and yes, hot co-anchors on the show

with me. >> oh. >> well, it's quite a process here. we thought we would show you how it works. >> behind the scenes. >> time to find a new anchor. >> 1-900-hot anchor. how can i be of assistance? >> we're looking for a hot co-anchor for "world news now," the overnight show. are you interested, honey? >> let's see, we do have a opening. >> i bet you do. let me ask you this. i'm looking for a woman who really, really likes hard news. >> you've called the right place. >> that's excellent. you're hired. >> and that's how it's been done many times. >> why did i agree to that? >> throughout my 16 co-anchors on the show. >> this is from mary lou. you say the studio is cold. how cold? and how can diana wear sleeveless tops if it's that

cold? >> is it really that cold or is it anne hathaway cold? >> can you bring this over here? poor man has to wear a coat. how old is it? >> that's a clock. >> it's zero. >> you had that in the freezer. >> how am i able to do it? because of my blanket. >> with her son's picture on it. that's adorable. that i do like. and finally a question from donna. she wants to know can you ask me the producer to give me a three to five second super up close shot of rob's eyes? i want to get lost in them for just a moment. why you in my light? get out of my light!

good morning, girl. good morning to you. >> all right. and now we have rapid fire round and the commish is going to come out here and help us out. >> where is the commish? >> commish? >> nice to see everyone again. thanks for having me back. lightning round. where is willis? >> here i am. hello! >> willis is there. >> he's with waldo and carman san diego. >> who is taller? get out of here. >> this is embarrassing. do you still have pumps on? >> no pumps. >> you have pumps on. >> no pumps. >> lightning round. have you guys ever yawned in front of a live camera? >> no, but i have sneezed. >> i have yawned and tooted. >> can rob or diana cook?

>> no. >> no. >> can rob put the pen down, please? >> i'll put it down. >> what are you doing on the camera when you go to commercial? on the computer, rather. >> you don't want to know. >> porn. >> and now it's out.

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headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. in-wash scent boosters, here with my favorite new intern, jimmy. mmm! fresh! and it's been in the closet for 12 weeks! unbelievable! unstopables! follow jimmy on youtube.

welcome back, everyone. your momma always told you a good work ethic can get you far in life. >> mama was right. consider the case of a young man who on his way to a job interview actually landed a job. that's why this is our favorite story of the day. tonya spencer of our station in indianapolis explains how all of this happened. >> reporter: it's a fast-paced

cajun kitchen. >> pretty much just training. >> reporter: but the road to papa roux's restaurant began with a slow walk after friday morning's ice storm. >> i'm putting down salt to melt all the ice because it was an ice rink out here. while i'm doing it, a young guy comes walking through a parking lot and he says can you tell me how far it is to 10th and sherman? >> reporter: that young guy was walking ten miles to an interview for a minimum-wage job. >> i decided i can't afford to pass you up, because anybody that's going to talk ten miles to an interview in the snow and ice will get here for work on a sunny day. >> i don't know what to say about it. it's overwhelming. i didn't expect all this or anything. i was just going to a job interview. >> reporter: his walk through the snow and ice has already traveled all around the world,

since the owner posted the story on friday, it's gotten more than 14,000 likes. >> 3500 shares and people calling from all over the country and other countries wishing him well and wanting to do good for him. >> i think it's going to benefit both of us. i think it was meant to be. >> reporter: already he's learned to bread catfish, helped bus tables. he says he likes his co-workers, his boss and the harmony of papa roux. >> it's my first day and i'm already starting to like it. >> he's right, if he's willing to walk ten miles in that kind of weather for a job, that's work ethic. that's going to be a good employee. bravo to both of those men. wow. >> you hear your parents always say, i had to walk to work, both ways, uphill in the snow. he actually did. >> and for a young guy, too. to be that young and have that kind of ethic already, mom and dad did a good job on that young

boy. >> good for him. >> indeed, yes. you can learn a few things from him, willis. >> that's the news from this half hour.

this morning on "world news now," deadly disaster. the nightmarish accident in the skies over a tourist destination involving a hot air balloon. >> with 19 fatalities, it could be the worst accident of its kind ever. it's wednesday, february 27th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good hump day morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we'll take you to egypt for new details from investigators looking into that balloon accident. and also this morning, the heavy snowfall this february, and we mean heavy.

it's causing roofs to collapse and the severe winter storms aren't over yet. and then we'll turn to that historic development this morning at the vatican. pope benedict greets the faithful one last time before his resignation tomorrow. later on, critical information car buyers wait to hear year after year, the cars that test the best and last the longest. an influential list is released. >> speaking of lasting the longest, we should thank one willis chambers. he's back, just temporarily with us, to bring us our favorite little snack, a chunky bar. thank you, willis. thank you so much, willis. appreciate that. but first, before we get to all of that, the top story at this half hour, investigators in egypt are working to figure out what caused this hot air balloon to catch fire and then crash to the ground. >> some egyptians said safety standards had declined while others blamed this horrifying accident on the pilot. abc's alex marquardt reports from cairo.

>> reporter: this amateur video shows the moment the vacation of a lifetime turned into tragedy. a sun rise balloon ride suddenly enveloped in black smoke. you could see it billowing from the basket. then the balloon begins to collapse. deflated, it plummets 1,000 pete down to the earth. photographer christopher michelle watched it unfold from another balloon. >> we heard a loud explosion and a lot of smoke. our first feeling was it couldn't be a balloon, but it turned out to be this tragic accident. >> reporter: we now know the balloon was coming in for a landing in a sugar cane field. that's when one of the cables got caught on a helium canister, starting a fire. a pilot and two others jumped from 40 feet up, as the balloon shot back up into the sky, exploding into flames before crashing down. 19 lives were lost, including one of those who jumped. they were from hong kong, japan, and across europe.

it's a marvel to float in a balloon over luxor. flying over the desert, the tombs of the pharaohs. those sights are some of the greatest for tourists to see in this country, and this accident couldn't have come at a worse time. egypt's tourism industry has been decimated since the revolution two years ago. the government is now investigating how this tragedy could have happened. alex marquardt, abc news, cairo. a bus carrying the university of maine's women's basketball team has crashed near boston. the bus veered across the median on interstate 95 last night, slamming into the woods. the coach and the players suffered minor injuries. police say the bus driver may have had a medical problem right before the crash. a marine has been killed in a sky diving accident in southern california. he was part of a group of marines from camp pendleton that

were conducting military training exercises west of l.a. one witness says the victim's parachute did not open. the coast guard has called off the search for a boat that reportedly sank in rough seas off central california. the family put in a distressed call on sunday saying they were abandoning their sailboat and trying to fashion a life raft, but there was never any sign of the boat, no missing persons report was ever filed. the coast guard now fears the incident was all a hoax. in other news, the second heavy snowstorm across the nation's middle has crews working to restore power to thousands of homes and businesses. watches and warnings are posted from missouri to maine and 500 flights at chicago's airports are canceled. we have more now from abc's ginger zee. >> reporter: chicago is in the thick of it. roads caked, the evening drive and the driving snow not pretty. >> it's bad. visibility is really bad.

>> reporter: it's all the same storm that sent plows off the road in kansas city. and encased parts of texas and oklahoma. from above, you can see where the snow started and where it stopped. in wichita, the weight of the snow sent it crashing off this building. the snow so heavy and wet in missouri, this building south of kansas city crumbles. and in oklahoma, this roof killed a man after it buckled. shawn fixes roofs for a living. >> these roofs that are flatter can't take as much weight. a steeper roof it can handle it better. >> reporter: a foot of wet snow on your roof can add up to 20 pounds per square foot. that's like having several cars on top of your roof. look at that huge tree that crashed into that house. that happened because of the heavy, wet snow and the wind too. and now it's snowing again. but not for long. a lot of this is just wrap

around. most of the storm moved off to the north and east and for wednesday into thursday, for the majority of the east coast, it will just be rain. ginger zee, abc news, kansas city, missouri. a bp executive took the stand yesterday, refusing to take full responsibility for the deadly blowout and gulf oil spill in 2010. but an expert witness for those suing bp testified that the oil giant fostered a culture that put cost cutting over safety. if bp is found guilty of gross negligence, it could be forced to pay $18 billion in damages. there was a forensic engineer that you referenced in that story and the direct quote he said on the stand there, there is ample evidence of intense pressure within the system to save time and money. so the insinuation being look, these guys were concerned about their bottom line, not the safety of the water they were drilling in, and the crew folks on board, 11 of whom perished back in april of 2010. >> we're not even talking about the wildlife that lost their lives and millions it cost in

the tourism industry. now, this is happening, barring obviously some kind of settlement. and a lot of people are expecting a settlement will come out of this. but if it doesn't happen, the judge is going to determine just how much money bp and the contractors, who were also involved with this, are going to owe the people who have brought on this case. and it's going to be a lot. >> keep in mind, as i said many times on the show, i lived in new orleans. don't ever underestimate the number of livelihoods that depend on seafood, that depend on that water. a huge chunk of this country's seafood comes from the louisiana coast. so that was a huge impact for the tourism and the seafood industry, as well. lots of money at stake. moving on to other news. today is pope benedict's final full day as the leader of 1 billion catholics around the world. his final public audience is today.

it is attracting tens of thousands of folks there to the vatican. after a blessing, benedict will take a final tour in his famous popemobile. after he steps down tomorrow, he will no longer wear his famous red prada shoes. as for what benedict will be called, just listen. >> his holiness benedict xvi, that name will remain with him. pope emeritus or the roman pontiff emeritus. >> he will give up his special papal ring, as well. it will be destroyed. >> a few other things that are going to happen after he retires. those red shoes that everybody claimed were from prada, apparently he's going to have a comfy pair of loafers he received in mexico as a gift that he's going to wear. >> he's got to give up his prada shoes? >> poor guy. and he's resigning at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow italy time, 2:00 p.m.

eastern time. and the only way that we are going to know that this is done and his reign is over is the swiss guards that are at their posts will simply walk away. and that's it. >> it is an amazing ceremony, an amazing process, not just stepping down. this is unprecedented and picking the predecessor is. he's going to live there at the vatican but out of sight. >> and he's gone and he doesn't want anybody to know where he is. we're not going to hear from him. >> abc will have extensive coverage of that tomorrow morning. keep it right here just about this time tomorrow morning. a reminder that not all nfl players spend their off seasons lounging in a really nice mansion. one example, terrence ganaway of the st. louis rams.

he's working at a fast food sandwich shop in waco, texas. >> he knows waco. he went to school at baylor. and here's the best part. he says he went to work to stay out of trouble and save some money. it would take him 86 years of working at that shop to equal what he made as an nfl rookie just last season. >> okay. really? >> i applaud the work ethic. when you see famous people how they can blow their money on all kinds of stuff they don't need, this guy has a different ethic. i don't know if i could personally do it, but i have nothing but respect for that. >> i wonder if the ethic is really that he can work or if the ethic is i need to work to make sure i don't go and spend my other money. >> at least that's a discipline that some folks don't have. i'm going to sit here and make this turkey sandwich as opposed to buying a maserati. >> right.

>> there are worse things folks do with their money. coming up, what the happiest couples in the world seem to lack. >> very interesting. and professional thieves and what they're stealing at grocery stores. these are no ordinary shoplifters. you're watching "world news now." ♪ have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness,

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♪ ♪ ♪ i fought the law and the law won ♪ ♪ i fought the law and the law won ♪ >> welcome back, everybody. there is a new trend in thievery. forget the banks and the casinos. no, no, no. the hottest target for organized thieves, supermarkets. >> now retailers are forming their own undercover units because of this. abc's nick watt went along with one of them for a bust. >> reporter: we used to call it shoplifting. but now it's so much more. >> i've seen a person pull a razor blade and cut people. >> it could be nothing, it could be something. >> reporter: it's highly organized crime rings doing big business. shoplifters are called boosters, they sell the stuff on to someone called a fence.

there's even an acronym, orc, organized retail crime. >> it's just like a fortune 500 company. it's all just organized. >> reporter: it cost the retail industry more than $30 billion a year. >> everything from meat to razors, to milk. >> reporter: milk? >> you name it. >> reporter: underwear, fragrance, clothing, highly sophisticated networks, boosters, fences, mr. bigs can make millions a year. and mike sweat is on the case. a riverside county sheriff's deputy injured in a car accident, sweat is now a full-time investigator on the orc beat. hired by stores from tj maxx to marshals and he's helping out the cops. >> kind of like working a narcotics case. we have low, mid level and top dog. >> reporter: he's been casing two joints in l.a. for months.

ray day has arrived. a motorcade of squad cars depart from the police department. they're in. the raid is on, and pay dirt. >> all that down here is victoria secrets. it's not rip-off stuff. it's not counterfeit. >> reporter: everything is photographed, and the cuffs are on. the owners of the stores arrested for possession of stolen merchandise. at mike's command center, aka his apartment, he shows off the fruit of countless hours. you're never going to stop people from stealing from stores. >> no, but i can sure try. >> reporter: any boosters watching tonight, be warned, you might be being watched. mike sweat might be right behind you. i'm nick watt in los angeles. >> the numbers are staggering. >> so apparently, there's something called the national

association of shoplifting prevention. that's how prevalent this is. by the way, apparently most prevalent crime in the u.s. averaging 550,000 incidents per day, $13 billion worth of goods lost. that's $35 million a day. >> we are a nation of thieves. >> 1 in 11 people are shoplifters. >> that is so dirty. i can't believe people would do something like that. >> that is not the kind of thing i've ever even heard of. >> that's disgusting. >> we'll be back. >> if diane sawyer asks, you didn't see me.

♪ ♪ thunder road. >> there we go. consumer reports has ranked the top ten cars and it is not too good news for detroit. >> abc's marci gonzalez shares the results. good morning, marci. >> reporter: good morning. the consumer reports list just came out yesterday, and there were some surprises. honda is back. topping consumer reports top car picks for 2013 after being left off the list last year. >> it got some of the mojo back. >> reporter: honda roared back with three winners, the accord, odyssey and crv. but missing from this year's list are any american manufacturers. >> one thing that hurt the americans for our list is they are redesigning their pickup trucks this year and nothing scored really well.

>> reporter: and trucks matter, because they're still in high behind, boosting average u.s. car sales by 14% this year. >> people go into the dealership thinking they want a fuel efficient smaller car. what they're finding out is that the big suvs and crossover vehicles, which are still the dominant portion of the market, are getting good mileage. >> reporter: the best fuel efficient car is the toyota prius, getting 44 miles a gallon. the hyundai elantra was named the best budget car. out of the 280 models tested, ten vehicles have the top pick status. and possibly some extra consideration from those in the market for a new car. also making a comeback, audi and bmw. they made the list for the first time in a decade. rob and diana? >> wow. not good news for detroit. but overall, auto sales are

slowly getting back. >> finally. it took a while, but hey, they're back. not bad. >> but almost 300 models were tested. so better luck next year, america. coming up after the break, the breakfast food that promises to boost men's fertility. es we . lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

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look at that sparkle! now that's clean! cloudiness! spots! tough stains! even dishwasher build-up! gone! just like that! so don't give up. add finish power up. wow! see the difference! it's a must have! all right. welcome to "the mix," everybody. we start with something interesting and strange. so we've all seen the commercial that geico has out there about a lady who is stranded with a pig next to her. she's trying to flirt with him but it's not working out. we have a clip. will we run it? maybe not. that's the video of what happens. now we have 1 million moms, a group out there that monitors children's programming who is apparently upset about this because they say it's making light of bestiality. they sent out a press release saying geico thought it would be

humorous, but it is disgusting to see how the company takes light bestiality. >> it's a cute commercial. no person takes that too seriously. it's a geico commercial. >> apparently there was a skittles commercial that featured a walrus and they took aim at that one. >> oh, come on. >> there's other things out there that you should be worried about. >> no one is trying to cork the pork. relax here. also, are you a fan of greek yogurt? >> i can do greek yogurt. >> it's not a manly thing to eat it, apparently. any way, this brand has brogurt. greek yogurt for men. high protein, all natural, great tasting and a man-sized package. it builds muscle because of the

protein, burns fat and on top of that, it has zinc, which is shown to help male fertility by improving the quality of a man's sperm. so now we have powerful yogurt known as brogurt. >> you can keep your brogurt. >> there's a joke in there somewhere. but this isn't hbo. carry on. how about this. apparently parenthood can make us miserable. that makes no sense. i don't happen to agree with this, but a professor at harvard gave a lecture. it found that people who aren't married and earn between $50,000 and $75,000 and don't have children are the happiest in the world. so if you got a kid, apparently you're not happy. people like to eat tv and

exercise more than they like interacting with their own kids. also they did a new study about annoying songs and how they get stuck in our head, like this one they're playing now. you have to do an activity that kind of combines auditor and verb

this morning on "world news now," papal farewell. tens of thousands of roman catholics are at the vatican this morning for benedict's last general audience as pope. >> the historic transition before benedict's formal resignation tomorrow. it's wednesday, february 27th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good morning, everybody. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. history is in the making at st. peter's square as the pope officially retires tomorrow and that's coming up in our top story. on top of that, we'll turn to northern texas where a 16-year-old driver with a stuck

accelerator pedal managed to avoid crash after crash. the panicky situation with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. lucky is an understatement. >> wow. also this morning, the debate over working at the office or working from home. after a surprising order from the top corporate executive. where are you the most productive? >> would you do this show from home if you could? >> in a heartbeat. actually, i do live here. >> feels like we do. >> we're here every night. coming up later this half hour, chris brown and rihanna's relationship has been on and off. now we're hearing the latest word about this unusual little love story here. that's coming up in our "skinny" here. >> they just don't quit. >> from is something there. for her to go back -- for better or worse, i'm not judging. some people you're just drawn to whether it's healthy or not. >> wow. but first, we want to get to this.

pope benedict now well into his last full day as leader of the catholic church. this is st. peter's square in the vatican. benedict will ride his popemobile around the square after his final public audience. >> he leaves office amid controversy as abc's david wright reports from rome. >> reporter: he's already said his last public mass at the basilica. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: he'll never appear in that window again. now the stage is set for one last public audience. then the sun sets on benedict xvi's papacy. we learned more details about his retirement. for example, he'll be called pope emeritus. or in conversation, still your

holiness. >> so his holiness 16th, or supreme pontiff. >> reporter: but no more swiss guards. no more fisherman's ring either. but he'll still get to wear white. >> a simple white casic. a very important point are the shoes. they will no longer be the red shoes, but he's chosen to keep brown shoes given to him on his recent trip to mexico. >> reporter: he also plans to live on the vatican grounds in a former nunnery. already the campaign to choose his successor is as ugly as a south carolina primary. for nearly a week now, the italian papers have run wild with a story of a sex and blackmail scandal about to explode, speculating the benedict really resigned because of a dossier he was given detailing the whole sordid mess. >> the vatican is upset with all the focus on the scandal. >> cardinals have had to face many forms of pressure. today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion.

>> reporter: other cardinals have ignored that example. among them, l.a.'s cardinal roger mahoney. documents show that for more than a decade, he enabled priests to keep molesting children rather than report them to law enforcement. it's an election without a democracy. italians say they're used to it. i'm david wright in rome. now to capitol hill, where there's no progress in the talks to head off the deep budget cuts coming. the cuts kick in on friday. the back and forth between republicans and democrats is taking a newer, nastier tone now. >> we should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their ass and begins to do something. >> i was raised in a little town that had 13 brothels in it, so i'm used to some pretty salty language. i think he should understand who is sitting on their posterior. >> oh, boy. the effects are already being felt ahead of friday.

the indianapolis air show has been canceled. u.s. military jet teams are grounded until further notice. >> tough language. gets feisty. fellas, fellas. in other news, rosa parks is about to become the first african-american woman to be honored with a full-size statue at the u.s. capitol. president obama will unveil the statue this morning, paying tribute to the woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man back in 1955. her arrest led to the civil rights movement. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the march on washington and martin luther king's unforgettable "i have a dream" speech. i sat down with three marchers who were there back on that day in 1963 to witness history in the making. you can hear what they have to say about black america tomorrow right here on "world news now." the family of trayvon martin has just marked one year since he was shot and killed. martin's parents took part in a candle light vigil in new york

city last night along with about 200 others. the shooting of the unarmed 17-year-old set off a national outcry over race issues and stand your ground laws. >> in case you're wondering where this stands legally, zimmerman will be back in court april 22 for a hearing related to that stand your ground law. they're calling it a mini trial, but that is the next step legally in all this. but obviously this was a huge story a year ago when it first broke. a lot of questions about police and the law, possible racial undercurrents. so on and so forth. so how all that plays out in this mini trial a few weeks, we shall see. >> the stand your ground law in florida, which there was a group that was put together to look at the law to see if any differences can be made. the group has since been disbanded and no changes made to the law.

this is a strong law in florida. a lot of lawmakers are behind it. as far as zimmerman goes, there was questions when he was released last year whether or not he would flee and if he would leave florida. on cnn, they said yesterday they had spoken to the attorney for zimmerman and he is still in florida according to his attorney. >> and that town has a new police chief that is doing community outreach. we have dramatic video of a teenager in a runaway car, avoiding accidents on a texas highway at more than 100 miles an hour. he called 911 saying his car accelerated and couldn't slow down. an officer called in to help capture it all on his dash cam. a semi pulled in front of the teen, causing his 2011 vehicle to flip four times. he survived with just a few broken bones. he missed a lot of accidents. the heavy snow that walloped the nation's middle is now over the last two days is now

delivering a direct hit to chicago. it started coming down yesterday afternoon at nearly an inch per hour and expected to continue through today. the windy city is living up to its name with powerful gusts causing whiteout conditions and hundreds of flights have been canceled. and as for the rest of the nation's weather, there's snow around the great lakes and up into maine. we have some morning rain for the major cities in the northeast. drying out across the nation's middle. some rain later today in the northwest. >> temperatures rise to the mid 50s near new york and atlanta. high 70s for florida. warmer across the central plains, so all that blizzard snow can start melting. not bad in honolulu n case you're wondering. 81 degrees there. i'm booking a flight. >> let's go. >> it's happening again. >> really? >> no, not that. you keep me on my toes, that's for sure. maybe you know where we're going with this one.

and i'm not talking about that one. >> must be men's college basketball. that's what i was thinking, with that march madness reference. yes, it has happened again. the nation's number one men's college basketball team has lost. last night, the hoosiers go down 77-73 at minnesota. >> and for those of you who are counting, that is the seventh time this season the number one team in the country has lost. indiana has lost three times as number one. here's a hint, indiana. don't be number one. >> number one has been cursed this season. this is an amazing run. that always makes it interesting. coming up on march madness in a few weeks. kind of setting the stage for what should be a great tournament. >> we're excited to see what number one is going to be able to do. >> what college team do you root for? >> baylor. >> oh, really? >> yes. >> why? >> i'm not sharing that with

you. >> i'll press it during the commercial break. coming up, what's bringing some actors, comedians and country singers together on the same stage. and an outcry at the office. you're watching "world news now." ♪

♪ working for a living ♪ working for a living the ceo of yahoo! has

ordered employees to show up to the office every day. and that's a big change for the company, which had had flexible work-from-home options. >> sounds nice to me. while that announcement has sparked a lot of debate. so abc's linzie janis reports on the controversy. >> reporter: 37-year-old marisa meyer had been a controversial figure since taking the helm at yahoo! last year. on the day she accepted the job, she announced she was pregnant. she then made headlines again by taking only two weeks of maternity leave. now another firestorm. employees were sent a memo to report to the office starting june 1st. it read, to become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important. so we need to be working side by side. her move lit up the internet, with even ceos weighing in. rich branson said, give people the freedom to work. tina brown of the daily beast

said, cheers for her making staff show up at the office. almost 10% of americans work from home at least one day a week. and more men than women do it. >> it worked beautifully. it worked like clock work. >> reporter: michelle fagerland is a mother of three who lives 45 minutes from the office and says she's most productive when working from home. >> it was easy. nobody questioned where i was. >> reporter: last november, she went through what yahoo! employees will soon experience. her company said she had to return to the office five days a week. >> i feel a lot more stressed. sometimes my head is not there because i'm thinking about, am i going to get a phone call that somebody is sick and i'm 45 minutes, an hour away. >> reporter: she thinks telecommuting helps her and so many others be better employees. when we contacted yahoo! for comment, it said this is not a broad industry view about working from home. it's about what's right for

yahoo! right now. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> okay, listen, if you ask me, you've got to be in, because i've got to be in. i've got to be here, so you have to be here. that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> we want to know where are you most productive? logon to our facebook page at wnnfans.com to weigh in. >> what do you think? >> i think that work at home system has enough holes where people can take advantage of it. i think everybody's together, it builds teamwork, morale. everyone is at home, it seems disjointed and you never know who is doing what and when. as a boss, i wouldn't like that. >> i do have a very good friend of mine, her line of work allows her to work from home. there's no reason to be in the office and she can spend time with her infant child. if you have a job that lets you do it, i'm all for it. i have to be here.

but yahoo! people don't have to be there. what are they doing? they're writing blogs and stories. that's just my opinion. >> this will get a lot of response on facebook. chime in and let us know where you're most productive. willis is most productive in the bathroom. that's about it. coming up next -- he's still asleep. we're seeing a lot more from certain members of the kardashian family. they're productive too. and setting the record straight about rihanna and chris brown. that's coming up next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny all right -- >> skinny in the house! >> almost forgot. >> well done, willis. quick update on the chris brown/rihanna situation. apparently finally confirmation of the obvious, that they are together. chris brown has said we are back together. she's the most beautiful girl in the world. i'm sad she couldn't be here tonight, she's rehearsing for a tour. so they are officially back together. also, in not-so-friendly news, rihanna had to get a restraining order against a man who is pretty obsessed with her, a fan of hers, who even tried to break into her house. he even broke into a neighbor's house, thinking it was her house. he cannot come within 100 yards

of anything related to her. so she has her man, but of course, the price of fame, an obsessed fan as well. >> sounds like she got the restraining order against the wrong guy. next, katie holmes and tom cruise have a daughter named siri. we all know that. there were pictures in "splash" news that found maybe she has a body double. they took pictures of a little girl wearing the same coat, black skirt and leggings and dropped off at a building in manhattan -- rather tmz. they were dropped off at a building in manhattan just minutes apart from each other. katie holmes says those claims are absolutely ridiculous. they are friends and they happen to look and dress alike. >> another world crisis averted. she has no body double. check out the cover of this magazine in france, everyone's favorite couple, kanye and kim, kind of a very intimate pose

right there a little bit. this is the latest thing. obviously that's kanye's back. kim looks like she's having a wonderful time in that intimate embrace there. >> i feel like a fly on the wall in the wrong bedroom. >> they're a very media shy couple, we all know that. they're very cozy and looking good. >> she's pregnant and they're happy and wonderful. well, our friend and colleague, barbara walters, is returning to "the view" next week. monday will be her first day back after she was sidelined for more than a month. she's been recovering from the chickenpox and a concussion. barbara walters, she was absent from the show starting january 22nd when she was hospitalized after fainting and cutting her head in d.c. during the inauguration. >> barbara walters on her way back, as we knew she would be. bobby brown back in the news, going to jail. 55 days, he's been sentenced to go behind bars, pleading no contest for driving under the influence and driving on a

suspended license. a whole bunch of charges here. he has to report to jail march 20th to begin his sentence. bobby brown can simply not stay out of trouble. >> every little step, right back to jail. >> guess it's his prerogative. hope he's not humping around. he's not hurping around. [ laughing ]

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but these celebrities are ready to put it all out there on the dance floor. the newest "dancing with the stars" cast includes a country queen. >> wynonna judd. >> reporter: a super bowl champ. >> jacoby jones. >> reporter: with smooth moves on and off the field. >> andy dick. >> reporter: there's even a comedic klutz. season 16 is shaping up to be a memorable one. >> there's a lot of good people. i'm going to work really hard. >> reporter: olympic gold medalist aly raisman is competing against another olympic star, skating sensation dorothy hamill. >> i sort of fantasized about doing the show. never thought it would happen. >> reporter: and there's boxing champ victor ortiz. country singer kelly pickler. and comedian d.l. hughley. >> andy dick will be my toughest competition. i fear him. >> there's different waltzes. is it the vietnamese?

>> viennese. >> thank god i didn't do the vietnamese waltz. >> reporter: several of the stars have turned down the show in the past. >> they've asked me for six years. >> so why now? >> reporter: i'm trying to get back to my original weight of 8 pounds and 15 ounces. >> reporter: it also includes "real housewives" star lisa vanderpump, disney teen stars as well as "general hospital's" inga rodermocker. but only one will take home the trophy. you can see them perform their first chance when the show premieres march 18th right here on abc. >> thank you. i was riveted by that story. >> i'm going to go with d.l. hughley. >> i'm going with the football player. i can't remember his name. >> oh, look at that. >> look at that leg. >> you're looking tone, girl.

i like it. >> i appreciate that.

this morning, the pope says good-bye. >> the seismic shift at the vatican is under way. thousands of the faithful, filling st. peters square this morning for the pope's final audience, before he steps down tomorrow. we're in rome. stranded by snow. dozens of students stuck in their school overnight. heavy snow snarling travel for millions this morning. a storm on the move. deadly attack. just hours ago, a killer shark spotted off a popular beach. and suds suit. two brothers going after

budweiser, michelob and other beers for being too weak. are these popular brands really watered down? good wednesday morning, everybody. we begin with the unchartered waters, being navigated right now by the catholic church. you're looking at st. peter's square in vatican city. a massive crowd has been there already for hours. >> and they're there for pope benedict's final public audience, before his resignation becomes official tomorrow. abc's nick schifrin is live in rome. and he's been talking to people in that crowd. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, diana. good morning, rob. it is a historic day here in rome. the first time in more than 600 years that a pope is choosing to asay good-bye. for his final public sendoff, a blessing for his catholic followers and the 200,000 people